Wanda Jakubec

WANDA JAKUBEC

Cedar Rapids

Wanda Jakubec, 96, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away peacefully surrounded by family in her home Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Wanda's Celebration of Life ceremony will be held at Springs of Life Church, 2300 26th St. NW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, at 11 a.m. A luncheon reception will follow the ceremony at 12:30 p.m. at the The Legacy Center at Murdoch-Linwood in southwest Cedar Rapids. Murdoch-Linwood Funeral home & Cremation Service in Cedar Rapids is assisting the family.

Wanda was born Dec. 1, 1925, in Cedar Rapids to her parents, Henry Christian Johnson and Vivian Anna (Flansburg) Johnson. She had one brother, Kenneth Johnson, whom she loved very deeply.

Wanda graduated from Wilson High School in 1944. Following her graduation, she waited for her best friend Nita to graduate so they could both move out to Washington, D.C., where they both worked for the Western Union Telegraph Company during WWII. Her adventures didn't stop there, as they decided only a couple years later to move to Chicago, Ill. They then moved back to Cedar Rapids, where Wanda was united in marriage to James Louis Jakubec Jr. They had three beautiful children, James Jakubec III, Luann (Ronald) Kerres and Cynthia (Sig) Kehl. She expressed often how blessed she was to meet all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and carry on loving relationships with them.

Wanda was a sincere and faithful Christian and lover of Jesus Christ. She promised the Lord she would set aside a time for Him every day from 8 to 10 a.m. to pray and read the Word of God - and she did. She was a prayer warrior and always ready to pray for someone or something. So much so that 31-plus years ago she and a friend, Shirley, obeyed the call of the Lord to start a prayer group that started in their homes and grew to need a larger facility over time. Many lives were changed due to their devotion to God's plan, and God continues to work in the meetings today.

She loved to read her many Bibles and Christian books, watch TBN and she loved to feed the birds, have her back scratched and watch old movies, particularly Westerns. She would give the shirt off her back if she knew someone needed it and drop everything to pray in times of need. She was selfless and compassionate. Many in her family considered her their spiritual leader and confidant. She is most definitely being rewarded in Heaven for all her love she showed while here with us on earth. She will be missed greatly, but there will be a magnificent reunion someday.

Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Vivian Johnson; brother, Kenneth Johnson; husband, James L. Jakubec Jr. in 2001; son, Jim Jakubec III in 2020; and best friend, Nita Blazek.

Memorials and other condolences may be sent to Luann and Ronald Kerres at 3004 Van Buren Dr. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.

Please share a memory of Wanda at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.